Why Read Through the Bible in 2006???

I found this message from Dr. Tom Wallace on a mailing list which he has offered for use to others so that many Christians can grow closer to the Lord during this New Year. Here is a portion of his message..... I hope it will help you make a covenant with the Lord, just as I have, that you will commit to read through your Bible in 2006.

Why Read Through the Bible in 2006? by Dr. Tom Wallace

What will it do for me if I read my Bible through this year?

1. IT WILL RESULT IN PROSPERITY.

Prosperity is promised over and over again in the Bible to those who understand and obey the teachings set forth therein. However, the promised prosperity covers a lot more ground than money and finances. Success and prosperity will come in the spiritual, the physical, the social, emotional, the mental, domestic, as well as the financial area of life.

The Lord wants His children to prosper.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. “ (3 John 1:2)

There is a hint of at least three areas of prosperity in this one verse. He touches on the financial, the physical, and the spiritual.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

“Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.” (Deuteronomy 29:9)

“And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: (1 Kings 2:3)

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalms 1:2,3)

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” (1 Timothy 4:15)

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16)

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:25)


2. IT WILL DEVELOP AND BUILD FAITH.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Many in this day are basing their faith on experience. It is not safe to build one’s faith on feeling or something that happened to us.. The devil is very subtle and deceptive, and has led away a multitude in this way.

D. L. Moody said, “For years I prayed for faith and thought that someday faith would come down and strike me like lightening, but faith did not seem to come, then one day I read Romans 10:17.”

First, It is the avenue through which we are saved.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)

Second, when faith is developed it will please God..

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Third, It will quench the fiery darts of the wicked.

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephesians 6:16)

Fourth, It is the condition of answered prayer.

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)


3. BIBLE READING WILL GIVE VICTORY OVER SIN.

David said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11) Someone wrote, “This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.”

Anyone who is well read will be familiar with the tragedy of Aachan. Reading this account in the book of Joshua will cause a person to do some serious thinking about stealing and being deceptive about it.

Becoming familiar with the results of David’s act of adultery and murder, and the awful fourfold judgment of God upon him and his family because of his deed will surely prevent a thinking person from making the same mistake.

Reading the story of Ananias and Sapphira will help one see the seriousness of lying about the things of God.

The story of Absalom and the resulting heartache and tragic end surely will keep a person from rebelling against authority.

The terrible outcome of Lot’s turn toward Sodom resulting in the awful exposure to wickedness, the loss of his wife, and the resulting incest with his own daughters, should keep anyone from turning away to the world.

We are told that the things that happened to the people in the Old Testament times were recorded and shared with us for our examples.

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition..” (1 Corinthians 10:11)


4. IT WILL GIVE PEACE.

Peace comes in three stages.

First, there is peace with God. Isaiah stated,

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Second, there in peace of God. This results from peace with God.

In Philippians 4:6, Paul said, “ and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

And third, there is peace with others and situations and circumstances around us. Peace with my neighbor, peace where I work, and peace where I live depends on the first two.

David wrote, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (Psalms 119:165) The word nothing covers a lot of area.

Isaiah added, “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. (Isaiah 54:13) He also said “ O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: (Isaiah 48:18)

5. IT WILL ASSIST YOU IN GETTING PRAYERS ANSWERED.

The Bible teaches that it is possible to get 100% of our prayers answered. This is not very likely but it is possible. Jesus taught, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7) The Bible sets the guidelines for getting prayer answered. John wrote, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” ( 1 John 5:14) He also penned the words, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (1 John 3:22)

Doubt is the major enemy of answered prayer and doubt is expelled by reading the word of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)


6. IT WILL BRING GREAT JOY.

Jeremiah the prophet of old cried out, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

Jesus Himself said, “”These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”( John 15:11)

We read in John’s writings, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” 1 John 1:4

In all of these verses it is clear that joy comes from hearing the word of the Lord.

7. IT WILL MOTIVATE US TO SERVICE.

The Spirit of the Lord uses the word of the Lord to build a fire in our heart. Jeremiah testified to that when he said, “But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

When the simple truth of the gospel is opened to us by the Holy Spirit, we will feel like the song writer felt when he wrote, “Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.”